


Stronger than F8

by orphan_account



Category: Homestuck
Genre: F/M, Falling in love is weird, How it all began, M/M, Multi, RP, Troll 'love' is even weirder, brief mentions of child death, mentions of torture
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-12
Updated: 2014-05-26
Packaged: 2018-01-24 11:13:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,803
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1603109
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Welcome, Marquise, to the Rebellion.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is an rp between http://karkatkandykorn.tumblr.com/ and myself~ with them as as Mindfang and myself as the Summoner. This is our first collab, so forgive the roughness in the beginning ^^

 

 

 

 

**Chapter 1**

 

 

 

_“Remember tonight... for it is the beginning of always”_  
― Dante Alighieri

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

    A tall troll moved through the crowd, twisting and shuffling to avoid hitting others with his enormous horns and wings. He stopped beside the cloaked figure standing at the edge of the crowd with a quiet huff and shake of his head. “Why do people even have to go to these things? I don’t even know any of these people.”

 The petite figure glanced up his way and brought her eyebrows together in an disdainful fashion, although he couldn’t see that due to the fact that the hood of her cloak was over her head, with only her horns peeking through. In a town like this she would be too easily recognized by officers to walk around in her normal get up. “Condy wants to know just how many lower bloods are still left around in villages...” She muttered bitterly. Her crew had only docked for a quick restock, but little did she know that the Highbloods would be coming through and making her little stop plans to out the window.

 “ _’How many are left’_ , huh?” He huffed, lips twisting into a snarl. “There will never be as many as there should be, not with the way the ‘recruitment’ schedules are, no matter how fast we grow.” His umber gaze slid over to his new companion, before darting away to glare at a mid-blooded worker with a clip-board that strayed too close, his wings flaring in an primordial show of dominance. The other troll skittered away, and the low-blood hummed in contemplation. “But you already know that, right stranger?”

 “Not sure. I just arrived less than an hour ago, and I’m only here to restock my ship,” she said, still not glancing at him. “A few weeks back this happened on another island too. She’s cracking down since the rebellion is acting up.” She said with a nod before glancing up and seeing who she was speaking to. “Do you know anything?” she questioned. She wanted to know where they were headed next so she didn’t get caught in counts like this on every island she decided to raid. She was tired of this war between the blood castes; she had her own agenda that she had to take care of.

 “Bad luck on your part to be caught up in this mess then.” The larger troll chuckled. “While they’re trying to keep it quiet, it’s not too hard to find out their plans. They’re going to be going south and west after they leave here probably, splitting up to cover more ground.” He grinned, all fangs. “I guess that little rebellion is starting to do its job. But what can you expect? With the way the _‘Empress’_ is running things, it’s no surprise even high-bloods are starting to balk!” His laugh was deep and carefree.

 “With the way you’re acting I’m guessing you have something to do with this rebellion then. Whoever is running it is causing her to worry. The sea has patrol boats around every corner. It’s not safe for people like me out there, makes my job rather hard.” She muttered bitterly. She had been warned that after the rebellion started to rise she would meet the man who would bring her demise and she was not looking forward to it. “How long do these things usually last before I can leave without making a commotion?”

 The darker-skinned male looked at her out of the corner of his eye as the pieces slotted together. “A pirate huh? Makes sense why you’re laying low right now then, I suppose.” He raised a brow and shrugged. “They’ll terrorize and ‘count’ trolls until dawn tomorrow, like usual.” He turned to his new companion with a roguish grin, offering a gloved hand. “You’re welcome to join me and my friends tonight at a local drinking den; we might know...a few things about the rebellion.”

 She stared at his hand then back up at him. “Might as well, they would search my ship if I tried to leave tonight and that is something I would like to avoid.” She glanced around, her eyes moving quickly across the crowd. “I would like to leave here now, I’m not fond of crowds of poor folk and higher bloods, and there is certainly an abundance of all of those here.” She began walking away with determination, her sword sticking out from the side of her cloak as she walked. She kept her head down, knowing that most higher bloods knew who she was by name and she didn’t want to be recognized just yet.

 His eyes followed her, his smile growing slightly. “The Angry Crab will be rather crowded this time of dusk, but there are some quiet rooms in the back we’ll go to. Can’t be too careful, yes?” He caught the gaze of a tall troll standing at a street corner, and rolled his shoulders, sending the other running on ahead down the crowded roads. “But then again, you look like you know how to use that blade of yours.” He paused. “I don’t believe you’ve told me your name yet.”

 “Inviting me to a room without even buying me dinner first? That’s rather rude of you.” She stated.

 The winged-troll threw his head back and laughed. “Who said there wouldn’t be dinner, my friend? One thing you’ll learn about me is that food is always involved!”

 She turned away with a smirk, continuing walking. “Marquise Spinerret. Most know me as Mindfang, though. You’ve probably heard of me.” She knew that her name was well known throughout Alternia. She had been everywhere and stolen from every place. Most people knew her name and only spoke it when it was followed by a snarl or frown. She continued to walk hoping the man would follow her.

 At learning her name, he tensed for a moment before relaxing again. “Well then Marquise, I suppose we’ll have to break out the better drinks for this meeting.” Most would have run from her, but not him. He was confident in his skills and of those around him, and so continued to walk with one he hoped would become his friend.

 “I would only accept the best” she stated and stopped sharply, turning on her heel and facing him. “What is your name? You cannot simply ask for mine and not return the favor.” The pirate propped her hands on her hips impatiently, raising her eyebrows in question.

 A look of surprise crossed the winged-troll’s face as they stopped, as if he had honestly forgotten to introduce himself. “My apologies,” he bowed slightly at the waist, and while it could have looked mocking, to him it was a true sign of respect for an equal. “My name is Rufioh.”

 “Rufioh? As in... The Summoner...?” She questioned. She had heard his name before many, many times. Mindfang stiffened and stood with her chin up proudly. “I’ve heard of you. You’re the one who started all this rebellion business. Many highbloods want you dead.” She chuckled softly and kept walking, forcing herself to keep her composure, although she was absolutely terrified. This was the man who was destined to kill her... But he didn’t seem like he had any motive to...

 Rufioh laughed again, this pirate was certainly fun to talk to. “I have been known to go by that title, but I’ve never taken to it myself. It was more a gift from my cohorts to be honest.” He grinned and wagged a gloved-finger teasingly. “Not just highbloods, Mindfang. It would not do the murderous mid and low-bloods justice if you leave them out of those who wish me dead!” As they continued to walk, he pointed to a hanging sign down the street. “Our destination.”

 She walked up to the building he pointed to and walked in. Glancing around, she noticed a few of her own men were sitting around the bar . She gracefully removed her cloak from her body and held it on her arm as she walked in, not waiting for Rufioh to follow until she reached the other side of the room. She turned around and leaned against the wall, waiting for him to catch up, knowing that he would be weaving through people trying not to hit them with his massive horns.

 The grace with which Mindfang crossed the room was impressive, even for Rufioh, who was used to being left behind. He pulled his wings down, ignoring the pain that accompanied the joints cracking to accommodate the odd positioning, and turned to shadow the outer wall around the other patrons. Shuffling up to the pirate, he knocked on the door between them, which opened to reveal the troll from the street. He walked in, not waiting to see if his new companion followed him into the dark.

 Mindfang followed closely, keeping herself just a few paces behind him. She was afraid and she didn’t know why. She knew how to fight. She was strong. She wouldn’t be able to captain a ship if she wasn’t. Not only that but she was a female and for most trolls the sound of her name instilled fear in their blood-pushers, but still, being with the Summoner in the dark terrified her. Fate told her that they would be in love, which she doubted, and that he would kill her... but the thought that he could just kill her at any moment for being a higherblood refused to rest.

 The hall was too dark narrow for his wings to spread, but Rufioh walked calmly through it with the ease of someone who’d done it a thousand times before. About halfway down the hall he reached out to drag his claws along the stone, and stopped when they caught on the slight seam that sat between the wall and a secret door.

 Laying his hand flush, he pushed it inwards and light bathed the once dark corridor. Inside, the loud murmurs of conversation stopped as everyone in the room turned to look at the new comers.

 He stepped into the room, wings arching and stretching out, creating quite the display as they rose high above his horns.

 Rufioh turned back to Mindfang and cocked his head slightly, the corner of his mouth rising into a crooked smile.

 “Welcome, Marquise, to the Rebellion.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two Leaders test the waters between them, while dancing around the obvious starting of something that might be....maybe....considered a tingling of flush.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi~, thanks for joining us again in Stronger than F8! Some future chapters have already been, and are still in the works. We'll try to update every Monday. ^^

**Chapter 2**

 

 

 

 

 

_“There are only so many plots in the world. It's how they unfold that makes them interesting.”_

_-_ Lauren Beukes, _The Shining Girls_

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

     "So this is where all the gossip about the highbloods happens, is it?" Mindfang smirked and walked past Rufioh into the room with confidence in every step.

 “Here, among other places.” Rufioh agreed. His fellow trolls continued to watch in silence, all eyes on the confident pirate queen in their midst.

 The pirate found herself a seat at a table on the far side of the room and instantly kicked her red boots onto the table before her. The low-blood took notice of her red boots, as any sane troll would, and quietly admired her courage while being surrounded in a strange place, there was no doubt she had earned her reputation. She crossed her arms and looked at the group with scanning eyes. She was the only female in the room, which wasn’t uncommon. Her eyes moved back to the Summoner, whom she couldn’t help but think was handsome. He was actually the best looking man she had ever seen- but she would rather die than admit that.

 "So Summonerd, you promised me at least a drink." She smiled charmingly.

 “And a drink you shall have, too!” He followed her to the table, chuckling at her jab and seating himself on a cushioned backless chair as the crowd around them went back to what they had been previously doing. “As well as food, don’t forget.” He winked.

 A troll, so young that his eyes were only barely beginning to show slivers of yellow in the irises, brought over a sealed bottle and mugs.

 “Whatever’s hot and ready, as well as some fresh bread, for me,” Rufioh turned to his table-mate, “and you?”

 "I'll have the same" she stated and stared the Summoner down from across the table. "How does it feel to be getting dinner for the deadliest pirate to sail all the seas, Rufioh?" A smirk hit her lips as she kicked her feet down and leaned forward on her elbows, resting her chin in her hand. "So, this whole rebellion thing. Is it all just to piss off the Empress? Or is there ulterior motives?" She asked, staring at him. She tapped her sharpened nails rhythmically against the table in impatience. "Because I'm all for killing off the higher-bloods, that's fine. I’m not, however, a huge fan of how you set the ocean on fire." Her stare squinted a little, giving him a pointed look.

 The small troll who’d come to take their request scowled at the Pirate Queen, his lower lip jutting out slightly. Rufioh leaned over, running his long fingers through the younger troll’s hair, winking at him and gently nudging him away. The boy scuttled off through the crowd, weaving between tables, the winged-troll watching him for a moment before turning back to his companion.

 Rufioh rubbed the back of his neck with a small chuckle. “Would you believe me if I told you the sea on fire part was actually just spur of the moment because we were being routed somewhere else? Sorry about any disruption to you though.” He grimaced. “We try and keep people not directly involved out of our trouble-making.”

 He paused, and his hand slowly slid down to join its twin on the table-top. The leather of his gloves creaking quietly as his hands tightened into a deadly grip.

 “For a lot of my compatriots, the angering of the Empress is enough of a reason to be here.” This was true, while many wished for the change and equality that came from fighting for the Signless’s teachings, for many others, just to be able to say they were ‘a part of the Rebellion’ was enough of a reason. Rufioh knew that a time would come however, when the ability to sit on the fence would come to an end. “For me, though,” he frowned, “you could say that I have my own reasons for doing this.”

 "Well I would prefer if you didn't do it." She nodded and held her chin high as she waited for their food to come. "Now I have a question. Why did you bring me here? You offered this to me before you even knew who I was. What if I was loyal to the Empress and you didn't know, and then I ratted you out to her and she showed up here? You have no reason to trust me, yet here I am in your little club, drinking with you." She drawled.

 He laughed.

 “Well, it wouldn’t take a genius to see that you didn’t want anything to do with her royal Empressness, with your cloak and eagerness to get off of the island as soon as possible.”

 He reached over and cracked the seal on the bottle, filling both of their mugs, before taking a sip to show it wasn’t poisoned. Like he would ruin a good thing of alcohol, as if! The young troll came out of a back room, arms laden with plates and steaming food as he made his way towards them. “And if you were really such a good actor as to have fooled me, don’t forget, Marquise.” Rufioh smiled for the first time wide and dangerous, all glittering fangs. “You’re in the heart of _my_ territory, surrounded by _my_ men and _my_ forests on _my_ island.”

 "Don't get the impression that you scare me. You're just another troll." She scoffed and took a swig of her drink keeping her unamused expression. "Need I remind you who I am? I've gotten fairly talented at lying and killing. Now I'm not saying that I don't hate the Empress. Because I do. But don't be a fool and underestimate me." She nodded. It was a partial lie of course, she was terrified of her fated executor, but she wouldn't let him go on believing that she was scared of him. She was a pirate-she feared nothing. Her hands swept to the plate that had just been set before her by the young troll, and she started to eat. Arms properly raised, back straight, elbows off of the table. It was one of the only signs that showed she wasn't raised in the pirate way, same with the way she talked and moved with grace.

 The Rebel paused for a moment at her brush-off, before he threw his head back, roaring with laughter, some of the remaining tense trolls around them relaxing at his words. “Oh, Mindfang, I _like_ you!” He continued to chuckle softly as he contemplated his plate, considering using his teeth to get his gloves off to avoid the small straps and buckles like usual, but refrained, and instead slipped them off with dextrous fingers. He picked up a small purple vegetable and popped it in his mouth, chewing thoughtfully before swallowing. Pirate or not, it would be best to have at least some manners in the beautiful company at his table.

 "So this rebellion-what are you hoping to accomplish? Do you realize how many highbloods there are? How many brave low bloods there are, really? Chances don't seem too bright, but you're still doing it. You had the title of a Cavalreaper, and you gave all that up for this rebellion?" She pressed, now back to avoiding his eyes and looking at the handsome troll in general. She didn't want to risk any feelings being felt towards him.

 “The amount of high-bloods hasn't escaped our notice, but don’t count the warm-bloods out so soon, my dear. While they have strength and size, we have quick maturation and psychic powers.” He frowned. “Some things are more important than power. As someone who fought for the Empress, as someone who’d been a loyal captain in her army, I saw the truth. The Harvests of our own young, treated like open hunting season, distant planets ablaze, ships adrift in seas of stars exploding like novas. Mutants...” he shifted, wings twitching uncomfortably, “well, you know. I don’t hate the Empress per se; I have no reason to know if she even knows half of what her generals even do. But I hate what she represents, what her life allows to occur. That is enough for me.”

 Mindfang listened closely as he spoke and then gave him a firm, single nod. "Well then I guess there is more logic behind this then I thought...but all the same, the high-bloods can outlive you easily two times over. I just feel like you aren't realizing that you could die with this rebellion and nothing would change." She stated and continued eating politely, every once and a while sipping her drink. "With high-bloods out there counting all the low bloods, I imagine it's only so they know how many there are to wipe out. You do realize that, yes? It's all a big game to the Condescension, nothing more."

 “But then it’s not just me is it?” He swept a hand to show the room. “I could die, you could die. Everyone in this room could die, Jeegus, even the Empress Herself could die, and nothing would really change. Alternia has been stuck in this rut of death and destruction for so long, that we’ve stagnated. Our culture has stopped advancing, and can you honestly tell me when the last time there was some great technological breakthrough?” The corners of Rufioh’s mouth dipped down. “We could all die, the planet would still turn and the moons would continue to dance in the night sky, but as long as one troll had a sliver of doubt, somewhere down in their blood-pusher, then we’ll have won.” He smiled again, a mischievous twinkle dancing in his umber eyes. “And that’s the thing about games, my dear pirate. It takes two to be any real fun.”

 They sat in silence for a moment, each considering the other’s words in the gentle swell of quiet conversations around them.

 "Well, I have to say Rufioh, I think you're mad, but I don't suppose that's a bad thing. Is this how you swoon all the women you spend time with?" She smirked then looked back down at her food quickly, avoiding eye contact once again as she realized what had come out of her mouth. She needed to get away from this rebel as soon as possible. She didn't want to make her demise something she allowed to happen to herself. "So how long until the high-bloods are done patrolling again?" She asked roughly, even though she knew the answer.

 Rufioh’s wings and ears dropped in shock, a bronze flush painting his face and creeping down his neck. As her eyes darted away so did his and he brought his hand up to push some of his food around his plate with his fingers in embarrassment, manners flying out the window.

 “No? Not really, I don’t really-,“ he coughed and cleared his throat. “They’ll, uh, be gone around dawn tomorrow if nothing comes up.”

 Mindfang nodded quickly and finished off her food, standing jerkily. "Right then, well I should probably at least go check on my ship before full darkness comes. Just making sure everything is in tip top shape and all." She nodded, keeping her head down to cover the blanket of blue that now covered her cheeks. She didn’t understand why this was happening to her but at the same time; she was just a troll and couldn’t help herself but to be drawn to the charming rebel. She started crossing the room towards the door they had entered through.

 Rufioh had started nodding at her concern for her ship, before he noticed her turning to leave and jumping up after her.

 “Do you want me to come with you?” He scrambled. “I mean, I know you can handle yourself, I’m not saying you can’t. You could probably kick almost anyone’s ass. So I don’t mean it like you need protection, you’re a Pirate Queen, and- oh _fuck it!_ ”

 With a quick hop he leapt onto the back of another troll’s chair and was air born, swooping over the tables to catch up to her, his wings humming in a flutter as he swept down from the low ceiling. He came up behind her in a glide and extended his arm.

 “Need a lift?”

 Mindfang stared at him in slight shock. "I... I don’t fly," she said, "but you are certainly welcome to come with me to my ship if you would like. Some company from you wouldn’t be completely awful." She muttered. “If you want to come however, you have to keep up because I am in a hurry." She stated, then turned on her heel and quickly started away again in the direction that was out of the building . She was hoping that she would lose him but part of her also hoped that he would stay. Her pace quickened slightly.

 A huge smile crossed Rufioh’s face. Yeah, he liked this pirate queen.

 He glided ahead, and landed in the space near the door, his shoulders rolling as his wings cracked painfully back into their lowered position. “Well, from here on out, I’ll be following your lead, Marquise.” He winked.

 Mindfang smirked slightly, baring her fangs and re-draping her cloak over her shoulders, heading down towards the docks. "Don’t get too comfortable on my ship, this is the first and last time you will ever be welcome here." She threatened.

 “One night is probably more than most, so I’ll still consider myself honoured.”

 The pirate sniffed disdainfully. "Who said you would be spending the night on the ship? Now isn’t that a wild assumption, Summoner?"

 Rufioh grinned. “Just a figure of speech, my dear. I never intentionally impose.”

 Blue eyes considered him a moment before she continued down the dock. "My crew isn’t too fond of new comers, so no sudden moves or they’ll attack.” Here she paused. “You’d be able to take them down in less than a second but it is just a warning."

 He chuckled. It was nice to know that she had such confidence in his abilities, but slightly worrying as well for his reputation to be that extreme. “Don’t worry; I won’t break any of your boys.”

 She walked onto the wooden dock extension, towards a big black ship, a smile reaching her lips. "This is it, board carefully," she stated, "and if you put a dent in this ship I will have your head." She stated and turned, boarding her ship in a cascade of flowing cloak.

 The ship was beautiful, the wood smooth and weathered beneath his boots, the mast towering overhead. It was truly an impressive sight. “A beautiful ship for a beautiful lady.” He commented. “The both of you deadly, as well.”

 "Oh I know, my ship and I go together quite nicely." She said with a confident smile walking away to a group of her men and giving orders quickly. Moments later they were all quickly at work doing what they had been instructed. She turned back to her guest. "Follow me then." She walked to the back of her ship to the captains quarters, turning back to see if Rufioh could clear the door. The room was big enough for him but, she was still concerned slightly. She walked over to her desk and rolled out a map she had been following before they’d made port. "Alright, now when you get in here tell me where the high-bloods are going so I can avoid running into them again."

 Rufioh eyed the door warily, before turning to the side, dipping his head to fit one of his great horns through, and then repeating the process on the other side. He straightened his back with a pop, wings responding with their own pleased cracks as everything straightened back into its proper place. Stepping up to her side, he pointed at a blank spot on the map. “That area there is known for some rogue waves, so if they’re informed at all, they’ll go the long way around the horn of the island.” His finger danced over the map to the south and then east. “Those are the only directions they’ll take if they follow any logic, because they’ve already searched the islands here and here.” He tapped the spots respectively, frowning. “Though recently we’ve head they’ve been getting more ‘thorough’ with their searches, backtracking and suddenly detouring at random to keep people off balance.”

 "Oh, well I can’t have that, now can I?" She looked over and pointed to an island to the north. "We were here last, we arrived just as they left there." She removed her cloak once again, draping it over a chair that sat a ways away before rejoining him at the table. "They wouldn’t mind as much if I was stealing from low-bloods, but I usually aim for stealing from the richer, just because I'm a great person," she chuckled softly to herself at her own small joke. "How many times have they visited here? More than once? Or just now…? if they back track then it might just be safest for us to stick around... then again I don’t like staying in one place for too long."

 This is the first time they've been here in...” He paused, trying to remember, “roughly a sweep and a half. They also haven’t backtracked recently, so I wouldn't put it past them to do it again soon.” He leaned a hip on the table, one wing casting an orange glow over them as they talked.

 She propped her hands on her hips as she stared down at the map before her. "We could back track… but the towns would be expecting us I would imagine..."

 “They’ll almost definitely be on guard for you in the towns you've already been to. New bribes and wanted posters and the like spread about probably.” He reached over and tapped the other side of the island they were on, about half way up. “It doesn't show it, but there’s a passage here. Small and shallow, it’ll be a tight fit, but with a competent crew and a daring captain,” he cast a small smile her way, “you can get a ship this size through to the hidden grotto on the other side. It’s got some good lookout points, some shacks other pirates have built before and the like, the bad part is it’s only accessible through the way you get in or the sky. There's some vines you could probably use in a pinch to get up and out, but....”

 "Well the sky certainly is not an option, I'm not leaving my ship behind… I'm sure we could figure something out." She looked back up at him and for the first time she actually realized how big he was in comparison to her. She was rather petite, with a thinner frame and he was... well, huge. Even without his wings and horns he would be a giant of a guy. She didn’t even know low-bloods could grow that big. Mindfang felt a vague sense of intimidation, but shrugged it off. "I could just take a straight path through here. Not entirely safe, but it would keep us out of the way of the high-bloods." She pointed to the path, tracing it with her claw to a far away island. "It would take a long time though, and by the time we got there it would have been a pointless journey... but it would be away all the same."

 Rufioh frowned. “I don’t know where you got your information, but it’s a bit outdated.” He tapped his finger to the map, dragging it almost three inches across. “There are some new patrols in this area, rumours that the Grand Highblood himself is heading to the area.” He pointed to another spot on the path. “Here, well, there have been some sittings of the Pirate Dualscar, but I’d take that with a grain of salt myself. This isn’t really his territory, but if the Grand Highblood is showing up, I wouldn’t put it to chance.” Rufioh rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “You could always take this route to that island, but it’s the Warm season, so there’s a good chance of some heavy storms on the way.”

 With a roll of the eyes and a small scoff at the sound of Dualscar’s name, Marquise went back to focusing on his words. "I would normally risk a storm, but over there is where Darkleer is and he only likes me half of the time, I don't want to risk the storm and then get my ass kicked by him, I've had that happen before and it was not pleasant...I hate to say it, but staying here sounds like the safest option." She sighed softly but then stood up straighter. "Right then, I'll stay docked here till the high-bloods leave and when they do you'll show me this cove you were speaking of where I can hide the ship." She looked up at him.

 Rufioh nodded calmly, but a corner of his mouth twitched momentarily. He was glad she was going to stay for awhile, interacting with Mindfang was the most fun he’d had in ages. “Sounds good. Does anyone in your care need anything while we wait?” He straightened and turned his gaze around the room, taking in some of the smaller details. “If not, I’ll go topside and inform my men. It’ll take a few hours to get to the cove by hiking the mountain paths, since we won’t be flying. You could always take a small boat and I could show you the way, but it would only shave an hour or two off of the journey. You’ll need to pack whatever you think you’ll need for a a night-trip, and maybe some extra if we need to stay the day.”

 "Right then, I'll get a small crew together to accompany us? Or would it be better if we had an even smaller group?"

 “It would probably be best if we have a smaller group, so preferably bring no more than three of your men.” Rufioh poked at his lip in contemplation. “It’s a very steep climb, so those without a fear of heights would be best. There are some small buildings, more like shacks to be honest, built into the lower cliff-face of the grotto, as well as a few on the beach. There are also some places to store food, clothes,” he laughed, “even treasure if you want to.”

 Marquise began throwing various items into a bag, feeling the other troll’s eyes on her as she packed. "Also, no, my men can handle themselves we raided a ship a week back and got supplies. Would we need to set up a full camp there?" She pulled her hair up in a tie but parts of it still managed to fall and frame her face.

 Rufioh’s mind stuttered to a stop. Wow, she looked-no, _focus Rufioh!_ He chided himself.

 "We leave tomorrow, correct?" She spoke quickly as she continued to throw things in her bag. It was obvious that she was much more comfortable in this setting, she didn't like it when she wasn't on her ship but once she was, there was nothing that could shake her. Marquise looked at him with her dark blue eyes, eyebrows raised in question. She didn't like the idea of leaving her ship for an extended period of time, the look on her face showing that, but there was little choice and she was a pragmatist at heart.

 “Daylight would be best, but not all are equipped to handle our planets sunlight. So night will be a good plan, but the town will be more alive, we’ll have to stick to the outskirts if we do that.”

 He watched her face, noticing the slight tension. “It may not mean much for me to say this, but you’re probably safer here, on this island, than out on your own. It’s a big place, and I can make you and yours disappear from those after you at flip of a wing. The forests are old and dark, and the only way they would find us is if they burned it to the ground.” He shifted, feeling slightly exposed. What a fool he was, she didn’t need his protection, no matter what his blood-pusher whispered.

 The cerulean-blood grinned slightly, letting the silence settle over them again, before clearing her throat. "When do we leave?" She asked and threw her bag back over her shoulder. "Even when I’m hidden away in the shacks back there, you will come visit me, wont you? I can imagine it getting quite a bit lonely, and I’m probably going to be around for a while if they keep backtracking the way they have been. I'm going to need someone to visit with other than my crew," she said in a smooth voice, not even realizing what she was saying till after she’d said it. _Damn it Marquise_ , she hissed to herself, _this man is going to kill you, what are you doing showing feelings like that?_  "I mean to bring me supplies and things later on" she corrected, not looking at him. She turned away sharply and walked to a chest, skillfully picking it open and began throwing its contents into another bag.

 His ears perked up, flushing a light bronze before drooping slightly when Mindfang mentioned just needing new company. It was stupid of him to be feeling so easily around her, some-troll he’d only just met.

 Keeping her head facing away, she rose and turned in his direction. "I figure the sooner we leave the better, it’s safer that way. I want to hurry up and get settled even though I shouldn’t be around for too long, but it seems I’ll be around for a while…"

 “We can leave in a few hours; just let me go inform some of my people.” Rufioh shrugged. “I’ll bring you supplies and such as often as you need, it’ll be nice to learn some accounts about what’s happening in the outside world from someone who’s actually been there.”

 Mindfang nodded. "This trip should be enjoyable then, because there's much to tell, my dear Summoner. I'll gather my men and see you in a few hours."

 Rufioh followed her out, hands in his pockets and stance relaxed. "Can't wait to hear it all, my dear."

 She opened the door back onto the main deck and began walking him back to the dock. "I hope I'm not being too much of a bother by requesting all this." She whispered, for the first time giving him a genuine, sweet smile.

 He looked over at her, a small smile forming on his own face. "Not at all, Mindfang. I'm happy to help everyone, but you..." the smile grew slightly, "you, I want to help." He cocked his head, two clawed-fingers coming up to tick off from his forehead in a salute. "See you around, beautiful." With a flap of his mighty wings he was airborne and rocketing away into the growing darkness. His wings caught the fading light and turned him into a streak of blazing fire across the sky.

 A blush covered her cheeks, then Mindfang turned, regaining her constant scowl and began to gather her men for their journey.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We learn a bit more about the Summoner, and Mindfang think that maybe sticking around might not be such a bad idea...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! It's Monday again, so here's an update~ as well as some art! Some new characters will start to be introduced here and in the next few chapters, things will start to get rolling.
> 
> This chaper Triggers for: mentions of torture, mentions of child death.

** Chapter 3  **

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

_“There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.”_

-Beverly Sills

 

 

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

      The Alternian sun set as her second night on the island fell. She was waiting on the docks with her first mate and another crew member. She had dressed down from her normal getup, deciding to wear pants and a loose white shirt with her normal jacket hanging from her frame. Pacing back and forth restlessly , she glanced up towards the civilians in the town going about their business .

 With a quick huff she turned and looked at her first mate. "I don't believe he is coming, we've been here near an hour and he has not yet arrived. I'll give him a little longer, but if he doesn't show, we’ll set sail as soon as possible." she instructed firmly.

 Not a few moments later, the young troll from the tavern the night before sprinted around the street corner, breathing hard. He stopped to catch his breath, eyes scanning the crowd before he noticed Mindfang, and ran over to her, wheezing.

 “M-miss M-Mindfang,” he panted, hands resting on his knees, “The S-Summoner sends his apologies, there was some t-trouble after he left, and he’ll be a bit later than i-intended...” Pale citron tears formed in his eyes, worry creasing his brow as he tried to cover a slight sob.

 "What's going on? Is he alright?" She demanded, her brow furrowing with concern. She started to walk briskly up the dock, towards the tavern. "What kind of trouble?" Marquise growled. Although her face showed concern, her voice was harsh and demanding like always. She wanted to know what had become of her new low-blooded friend. Her pace was quick as she walked in the general direction of the tavern, her first mate following closely, quietly talking to her.

 "Mindfang don't go, there could be trouble for you too." she ignored him and kept walking.

 The adolescent troll jogged to keep pace with her, his shoulders trembling slightly as he tried to keep his strangled sobbing quiet. “He...th-there...” He chirred brokenly.

 The entrance to the tavern was different now. It was subtle, but there were many more trolls standing about ‘casually’, some of them not so subtly hiding weapons.

The yellow-blood darted from her side, throwing the door open and disappearing into the drinking den. Inside, the Summoner sat in the main bar area, regular patrons cleared out and the back rooms forgotten. Burrowing into his side was the small boy, shoulders shaking as Rufioh crooned and chirped soothingly, gently rubbing his back.

 Bandages covered the rebel’s torso and left arm, quickly bronzing from his own blood. Dark chocolate bruises traveled across his broad chest and up to the junction of his shoulder and neck. An Olive-blood stood behind him, pasting his wing joints with a foul smelling plaster.

 

 

 

     Arriving to the scene, a small gasp left Mindfang’s mouth before she crossed the room to him, sitting beside him, but out of the way enough so the olive blood could continue fixing him up.

"What happened to you? I was about to have your head for being late.” She looked at him with unhidden concern. “But it's only been a few hours, how could this be?" Some of his bandages were already slipping off, too heavy with blood. "We need more bandages!" she snapped at the nearest idling troll.

 His men jumped into a flurry of action at the female’s barked orders. It was an interesting sight to see battle-hardened soldiers cower and trip over themselves to please the petite troll, but it was also no surprise. It was obvious his new friend had earned her reputation.

 Rufioh chuckled at Mindfang’s concern, hissing quietly when it pulled at some of his more tender spots. “Ah, my dear pirate, ‘tis but a few flesh-wounds! We were doing some… _house-cleaning_ and I’m afraid I might have gotten a bit too… _enthusiastic_.” The winged-troll winced as the plaster on his delicate appendages began to dry, whipping the tears from the younger-troll’s face. He was one of Rufioh’s oldest Lost Boys, and yet still so afraid of the world. Sometimes he worried…

 She rolled her eyes and knelt down next to him. “Well don’t get so enthusiastic with your _cleaning_ next time, because if it happens again, I will have your head for making me worry about someone like you."

 Rufioh watched her quietly, a small smile on his face. “When one cleans their hive, vermin are routed out and removed yes? Well, around here, it just so happens that the vermin are bigger and like to corner unsuspecting trolls in their quest for vengeance.”

 Mindfang smirked, nodding. "I suppose we shall postpone our trip then till your injuries are healed? If that’s the case then I might just set sail tonight, I can’t afford to wait very long." She pondered, to herself or Rufioh, she didn’t know.

He patted the yellow-bloods back, before shooing him off. “You won’t need to be leaving just yet, or cutting off my lovely head.” A bronze eye winked at the pirate. “While I can’t fly, I can walk just fine to lead you to the grotto.”

She rose and turned to her first mate. "Go order me a drink, my head is far too clear to be thinking like this." With a quick 'yes captain', her crewman left to head to the other end of the bar. The pirate queen sat by the Summoner again. "I can’t imagine how all this enthusiasm ended up with you having so many injuries, Cavalreaper."

He laughed jovially. “When they try to use my Lost Boys against me, well then it’s personal. I don’t use my Lance when a fight is personal, my dear. Sometimes getting your bare hands dirty is the only way to go.”

 Mindfang smiled softly but she quickly made her expression hard again. "Good, we should leave as soon as you’re ready. I'll be waiting outside" She turned and grabbed her drink from her returning first mate and left the building. She couldn’t be just throwing her feelings around like that and caring about a man she had only met that morning. Caring about a man who was supposed to kill her. She leaned against the brick wall and took a long swig, hoping it would fog up her mind, to relieve her of all of these thoughts. She liked the rebel. She had come to terms with that, but maybe he wouldn’t end up killing her. Maybe it was all a lie. She didn’t know. All she knew was that, for better or worse, she couldn’t keep herself away from him.

 

 

 

      Rufioh watched the pirate queen go with a thoughtful frown. He turned to those surrounding him, sending them to make preparations for the foreseeable future of hiding a pirate crew. He hissed as the olive-blooded medic bound his ribs a bit too tightly. “Are you trying to finish off what those others started, Esgyrn?”

 “Damnit, Rufioh,” The mid-blood growled, “I’m an assassin, not a medic!”

 The wing-troll smiled softly through a grimace. “A skill in one is a skill in another, isn’t it old friend?”

 His companion chittered furiously, yanking out a needle and thread to sew shut some of the more gaping wounds with more force than necessary. His opinions on the matter were very clear.

 Staring down at his boots, Rufioh sighed at the sight of mutli-coloured blood drying on the toes and clinging to the hem of his pants. He hadn’t expected to be cornered but a dozen trolls on his way back to base. Most of his attackers had been strangers to him, but a few he’d known. Two of them by face only, one by name. It wasn’t the first time that those he considered compatriots had betrayed him, and he knew it would not be the last. Everyone had a price, everyone had a breaking point.

 He would not have held it against them; he might have even saved them for last, to question their motives, to learn from his own mistakes. But then one of them had pulled out the limp corpse of one of Rufioh’s Lost Boys. They’d sneered, tossing the body at him carelessly, saying how the child had kept the Summoner’s secrets, those known only to the Boys, even as he’d screamed and sobbed as he was slowly cut apart. That had sealed their fate. For what they had done, there could never be any chance of mercy. Rufioh had tossed his lance aside with a roar, his memory blurring into streaks of colour as he’d torn them limb from limb with his bare hands. He flinched away from the memory, from a voice that whispered in his head, the memory of it grinding like blades against his skin.

 “You like to think you’re so high and fucking mighty. But in the end? You. Are. Just. Like. _ME!”_

 He sighed, wing tips twitching slightly. It would all be worth it in the end. It had to be…


End file.
